To have tobacco in the field that late is not managerially sound, he said.

“Historically, we get a killing frost in the flue-cured area around Oct. 15,” Reed said. “It has come later the last few years, but that is not going to last. We need to be able to harvest all of our crop before that historical frost date.”

In other words, Reed thinks more new barns need to be brought into use even if production stays the same. And if it rises, even more barns will have to be acquired.

So it is no wonder that manufacturers of bulk barns went into high gear over the winter to meet the demand from farmers.

If you decide to buy a new barn, make it as efficient as possible, said Reed. “Look for a unit that can give 11 to 12 pounds of cured leaf per gallon of fuel,” he said. “It should have automatic curing control built in rather than retrofitted in, and it should be as well insulated as it possibly can be.”

He also strongly advises insulating the barn pad. “We can demonstrate that you can recoup the costs in one year,” he said. “There aren't many things in agriculture that pay back that quickly.”

Discuss this Article 1

Washington Mudzamiri (not verified)

on Mar 21, 2013

Hello tobacco farmers i am in a proccess to register a company that can manufacture tobacco barn/curer that uses diesel to dry tobacco. Currently i am in south africa taking my machine home. This type of barn is a container type won't affected by natural distaster, for more infor contact me on 0027 83 4567 947, or email me on muwashington@gmail.com .Tobacco Leaf Curing Company Pvt Ltd opening soon.